188. Ba´z Baha´dur, son of Sharíf Khán (No. 63).

Vide above p. 383.

189. Sayyid 'Abdullah Kha´n, son of Mír Khwánandah.

Some MSS. have ‘Khwánd’ instead of ‘Khwánandah.’ Sayyid 'Abdullah had been brought up at Court. In the 9th year, he served in the pursuit of 'Abdullah Khán Uzbak. In the 17th year, he was with the Khán i Kalán (No. 16) in the first Gujrát war. Later, he served under Mun'im in Bengal, and was with Khán 'A´lam (No. 58) in the battle of Takaroí (p. 375). In 984, he brought the news of Dáúd's defeat and death at A´gmahall (p. 331) to Akbar. During the Bengal military revolt, he served under Mírzá 'Azíz (No. 21) and under Shahbáz Khán (No. 80), chiefly against Ma'çúm i Farankhúdí (No. 157). In the 31st year, Akbar sent him to Qásim Khán (No. 59) in Kashmír. In the 34th year (997), he was one night surprised by a body of Kashmírís, and killed with nearly three hundred Imperialists.

190. Dha´ru´, son of Rájah Todar Mall (No. 39).

Vide above p. 352.

191. Ahmad Beg i Ka´buli´.

Ahmad Beg traces his origin to Mír Ghiásuddín Tarkhán, a Chaghtái noble who served under Timur. Like Sháh Beg (No. 57), Táj Khán (No. 172), Abul Qasim (No. 199), Ma'çúm Khán (p. 431, note 1), and Takhtah Beg (No. 195), A. B. entered, after M. Muhammad Hakím's death, Akbar's service. He was made a commander of 700, and received, in 1003, on the removal of Yúsuf Khán i Razawí (No. 35), a jágír in Kashmír. He married the sister of Ja'far Beg A´çaf Khán (No. 98).

During the reign of Jahángír, he rose to the post of a commander of 3000, and received the title of Khán, and also a flag. He was for some time governor of Kash­mír. On his removal, he went to court, and died.

From the Tuzuk we see that Ahmad Beg in the first year of Jahángír, was made a commander of 2000, and held Pasháwar as jágír. In the second year, he was ordered to punish the Afghán tribes in Bangash, and was for his services there promoted, in the 5th year, to a command of 2500. In the 9th year, in consequence of complaints made by Qulij Khán (No. 42), he was called to court, and confined in Fort Rantan­bhúr (Tuzuk, p. 136). In the following year, he was released (l. c., p. 146), and sent to Kashmír (l. c., p. 149).

Ahmad Beg's sons, especially his second eldest, were all distinguished soldiers. They are—

1. Muhammad Mas'úd (eldest son). He was killed in the war with the Táríkís. His son, Ardsher, was a commander of 1000, 600 horse, and died in the 18th year of Sháhj.'s reign.

2. Sa'íd Khán Bahádur Zafar-jang (second son). He rose during the reign of Sháhjahán to the high dignity of a commander of 7000, and distinguished himself in every war. He was governor of Kábul, the Panjáb, and Bihár. He died on the 2nd Çafar, 1062. Of his twenty-two sons, the two eldest, Khánahzád Khán and Luṭfullah, were killed in the Balkh war, where Sa'íd also was severely wounded. Two other sons, 'Abdullah and Fathullah, rose to high commands.

3. Mukhliçullah Khán, Iftikhár Khán. He rose under Sháhjahán to a com­mand of 2000, 1000 horse, and was Faujdár of Jammú (Pádisháhn. I., p. 258), and died in the 4th year of Sháhj.'s reign.

4. Abul Baqá. He was the younger brother (by the same mother) of Sa'íd, under whom he served. He was thánahdár of Lower Bangash. In the 15th year, after the Qandahár expedition, he got the title of Iftikhár Khán, at the same time that his elder brother received that of Zafar-jang, and was made a commander of 1500, 1000 horse.

192. Haki´m 'Ali´, of Gílán.

'Alí came poor and destitute from Persia to India, but was fortunate enough to become in course of time a personal attendant (mulázim) and friend of Akbar. Once the emperor tried him by giving him several bottles of urine of sick and healthy people, and even of animals. To his satisfaction, 'Alí correctly distinguished the different kinds. In 988, he was sent as ambassador to 'Alí 'A´dil Sháh of Bíjápúr, and was well received; but before he could be sent back with presents for his master, 'A´dil Sháh suddenly died.*

In the 39th year, Hakím 'Alí constructed the wonderful reservoir (hauz), which is so often mentioned by Mughul historians. A staircase went to the bottom of the reservoir, from where a passage led to an adjoining small room, six gaz square, and capable of holding ten or twelve people. By some contrivance, the water of the reser­voir was prevented from flowing into the chamber. When Akbar dived to the bottom of the reservoir and passed into the room, he found it lighted up, and furnished with cushions, sleeping apparel, and a few books. Breakfast was also provided.

In the 40th year, 'Alí was a commander of 700, and had the title of Jálínús uzzamání, ‘the Galenus of the age.’ His astringent mixtures enjoyed a great reputation at Court.

He treated Akbar immediately before his death. It is said that the Emperor died of dysentry or acute diarrhœa, which no remedies could stop. 'Alí had at last recourse to a most powerful astringent, and when the dysentry was stopped, costive fever and strangury ensued. He therefore administered purgatives, which brought back the diarrhœa, of which Akbar died. The first attack was caused, it is said, by worry and excitement on account of the behaviour of Prince Khusrau at an elephant fight. Salím (Jahángír) had an elephant of the name of Giránbár, who was a match for every elephant of Akbar's stables, but whose strength was supposed to be equal to that of A´brúp, one of Khusrau's elephants. Akbar therefore wished to see them fight for the championship, which was done. According to custom, a third elephant, Rantahman, was selected as ṭabánchah, i. e., he was to assist either of the two combatants when too severely handled by the other. At the fight, Akbar and Prince Khurram (Sháh­jahán) sat at a window, whilst Salím and Khusrau were on horseback in the arena. Giránbár completely worsted A´brúp, and as he mauled him too severely, the ṭabánchah elephant was sent off to A´brúp's assistance. But Jahángír's men, anxious to have no interference, pelted Rantahman with stones, and wounded the animal and the driver. This annoyed Akbar, and he sent Khurram to Salím to tell him not to break the rules, as in fact all elephants would once be his. Salím said that the pelting of stones had never had his sanction, and Khurram, satisfied with the explanation, tried to separate the elephants by means of fireworks, but in vain. Unfortunately Rantah­man also got worsted by Giránbár, and the two injured elephants ran away, and threw themselves into the Jamnah. This annoyed Akbar more; but his excitement was intensified, when at that moment Khusrau came up, and abused in unmeasured terms his father in the presence of the emperor. Akbar withdrew, and sent next morning for 'Alí, to whom he said that the vexation caused by Khusrau's bad behaviour had made him ill.

In the end of 1017, Jahángír also visited 'Alí's reservoir, and made him a com­mander of 2000. He did not long enjoy his promotion, and died on the 5th Muharram, 1018. Jahángír says of him (Tuzuk, p. 74) that he excelled in Arabic, and composed a commentary to the Qánún. “But his subtlety was greater than his knowledge, his looks better than his walk of life, his behaviour better than his heart; for in reality he was a bad and unprincipled man.” Once Jahángír hinted that 'Alí had killed Akbar. On the other side it is said that he spent annually 6000 Rupees on medicines for the poor.*